Ryan Mahoney: Carmel grad back home at St. John's

Apr. 4, 2006

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THE JOURNAL NEWS

When Ryan Mahoney graduated from Carmel in 2002, the big, lefty-hitting catcher had the rare skill set to become one of the most sought-after recruits in the Northeast. He was even a target of St. John's, one of the area's best programs, yet the lure of playing Division I baseball down south was too great.

The Patterson native signed with the University of South Carolina in early September of his senior season — before St. John's ever had much of a chance.

"He had a lot of opportunities out of high school," Red Storm coach Ed Blankmeyer said. "And like a lot of kids, he wanted to play down south."

Injuries and an ever-growing logjam at catcher caused Mahoney to reconsider. As soon as the Gamecocks granted his release last spring, coming back home immediately came to mind. Mahoney transferred soon after and is now a junior plying his trade in Queens.

"I thought about St. John's right off the bat," Mahoney said. "It has one of the best reputations in the Northeast, if not the best."

The goal now is trying to reestablish a career that went a bit off course in South Carolina. He never batted higher than .257 in two seasons there and watched as his playing time fluctuated, even after his all-American predecessor, Landon Powell, went pro and cleared Mahoney's path.

He said not knowing if or when he'd play — or whether he'd catch or DH — made it difficult to find a rhythm.

The Gamecocks currently have five catchers on their roster, four of whom are freshmen or sophomores, and Mahoney saw even greater uncertainty ahead.

"It was hard getting in an everyday groove playing one out of every three games," he said.

Just as much of Mahoney's difficulties stemmed from injuries. He aggravated the labrum in his throwing shoulder lifting weights in the summer of 2004. Doctors performed a procedure in which they heat shoulder tissue until it begins to shrink, but the surgery left Mahoney's shoulder tight and filled with scar tissue.

He spent last season trying to rediscover his once-vaunted throwing arm while fighting pain. Two cortisone shots did little to help.

"Every once in a while I was almost in tears trying to throw the ball," he said.

Mahoney was the St. John's starting catcher for the season opener against Texas Tech, but the following week his shoulder barked.

Once again, Mahoney is at rehab and splitting playing time with two teammates.

"It's extremely frustrating," he said. "In high school I never had a problem with it. Now it's becoming a hassle. Every day I have to rehab it. It's almost too tight now and I have to loosen it. It's just a process."

Of course, Mahoney — an impressive 6-foot-4, 235 pounds — still flashes the skills that made him an eighth-round pick of Arizona's out of high school. He had two home runs and five RBI in a 17-1 win over Albany on March 13 and is batting .258 overall.

He's also played in 12 of 25 games, but sat out all three games against Georgetown this weekend.

"He shows signs for you, but I guess he's not in sync," Blankmeyer said. "He just has to find his stroke, so to speak. When he puts a good swing on the ball he's going to hit it a long way. He's a big guy."

Despite the inconsistent playing time so far, Blankmeyer said Mahoney will get an opportunity to rediscover his form.

"How many 6-foot-4, 235-pound, left-hand hitting catchers with power are there? It's few and far between," Blankmeyer said. "It's all about performance now. He has to show consistency. Potential only goes so far."

These days, Mahoney just hopes St. John's is the place he can realize his.